Suffering
by badly-knitted
Summary: The morning after the squad's Christmas party, Dee is feeling the worse for wear. Set after Vol. 7. Written for Jae's Monthly Drabble Challenge 154 – Holiday Hangover.


**Title:** Suffering

 **Author:** badly-knitted

 **Characters:** Dee, Ryo, Bikky.

 **Rating:** PG

 **Setting:** After Vol. 7.

 **Summary:** The morning after the squad's Christmas party, Dee is feeling the worse for wear.

 **Word Count:** 831

 **Written For:** Jae's Monthly Drabble Challenge 154 – Holiday Hangover

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.

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OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

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"Ugh!" Dee groaned, rolling carefully onto his back and clutching at his head with both hands. It felt like his brain was about to explode. "I think I'm dying."

There was a snicker close beside him and the bed shifted, making him groan again. "You're not dying; you have a hangover, and not for the first time either. That's what you get for mixing your drinks. I tried to warn you."

The covers were thrown back as Ryo slipped out of bed, leaving Dee feeling chilly just to add to his misery. He cracked one eye open to glare balefully at his lover. "I really hate you."

How could Ryo be so chipper after last night? He should surely be feeling at least as bad as Dee did, but no, looking at him anyone would think he hadn't touched a drop of alcohol at the squad's Christmas party. Dee knew for a fact that wasn't true; Ryo had knocked back enough tequila shots to make him more than relaxed. What they'd gotten up to after they'd arrived home from the party had been awesome, but even remembering their post-party activities failed to alleviate Dee's misery in the slightest.

"That's just the hangover talking." Slipping into his robe, Ryo breezed out of the bedroom, leaving the door open, something he would never have done if they hadn't been alone in the apartment. Bikky had stayed over at Carol's last night because of the party; although he was sixteen now Ryo still preferred not to leave his foster son home alone if he was going to be out late.

Eyes closed, Dee lay as still as possible, trying to suffer in silence. What on earth had possessed him to drink so much? Not just the beer, but the tequila, and a couple of shots of scotch, and had there been vodka as well? Probably. He really shouldn't drink that stuff, it gave him the worst hangovers, and he didn't even much like it. "I'm gettin' too old for this," he mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?"

The cheery voice made Dee jump, which did him no good at all, the Gremlins inside his skull redoubling their efforts to split his head open from the inside. When had Ryo snuck back in? "Don't do that," Dee scarcely recognised the pathetic whimper as his own voice.

"Do what?"

"Sneak up on me like that!"

"I didn't. Here; water, painkillers, orange juice." Ryo set a bottle of water, a glass of orange juice, and a couple of painkillers on the bedside cabinet. "I loosened the cap on the water for you, figured you wouldn't have the strength to open it."

"My hero!" Dee slowly and painfully levered himself into a semi upright position against the pillows and held one hand out, a pleading expression on his face.

Rolling his eyes, Ryo dropped the painkillers into his partner's palm, then handed him the uncapped water bottle. "I thought you hated me."

"Not anymore." Dee gulped the pills down with half the water, then put the bottle on the windowsill and accepted the orange juice, sipping slowly, eyes closed once more against the too bright daylight.

"Coffee's on; what do you want for breakfast?"

Dee pulled a face. "Nothin' right now."

"Suit yourself; I'm going to take a quick shower, I'll bring you a cup of coffee when it's ready."

"Thanks, babe; I don't deserve you."

"Probably not. Just remember you can't stay there all day; you'll have to get up and dressed eventually, we're on second shift today."

Dee felt like cursing, only he couldn't muster the energy. Dammit, all he wanted was to just lie here and die in peace, was that too much to ask? He turned toward the door to say something, maybe to ask his lover to call in sick on his behalf, but Ryo was already gone and he heard the bathroom door close, the shower start.

Slumped against the soft pillows, Dee waited for the pain pills to take effect, for the umpteenth time vowing never again; this was absolutely positively the last time he'd ever do this to himself. Drinking to excess was for kids who didn't know any better; Dee was pushing thirty, he didn't recover from a wild night out as fast as he used to. Having a beer or three with friends after work was one thing, but hitting the hard stuff was another matter altogether, especially if he had to drag himself out of bed the next day and work a full shift. Nope, he was done; if he'd stuck to beer, right now he could be in that shower with Ryo, picking up where they'd left off the night before, instead of lying here waiting to die.

He managed a faint wry smile, already knowing that come New Year's Eve he'd have probably forgotten all about this promise to himself and be heading full tilt towards yet another holiday hangover. He just never learned.

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The End


End file.
